Page 18 - atoday sept 30
P. 18
A18
SPORTSWednesday 30 September
Woods and Mickelson no Ryder Cup certainties
BRIAN HALL Phil Mickelson watches his tee shot on the first hole during the second round of the BMW Champi- need to throw the game
Associated Press onship golf tournament at Conway Farms Golf Club, Friday, Sept. 18, 2015, in Lake Forest, Ill. plan away and start over,”
CHASKA, Minn. (AP) — The Love said. “We need a
PGA of America has al- Associated Press new front office. We need
tered its approach to the a new attitude. The PGA of
Ryder Cup with the tourna- has won the cup four every other year now, so team, and obviously Tiger America, they rode home
ment returning to the U.S. after losing again over in
in 2016 at Hazeltine Na- times since 1985. Woods maybe next year,” Love wants to get healthy and Gleneagles and they were
tional Golf Club in Minne- not happy about it.”
sota. Perhaps the biggest and Mickelson have been said. “I mean, his off year play.” Love said he’s consulted
change could be a team Woods, Mickelson, Steve
without Tiger Woods and mainstays on those teams. is really, really good. I think, Mickelson spoke out dur- Stricker and Jim Furyk,
Phil Mickelson. along with former captains
Captain Davis Love III said Mickelson’s first Ryder Cup in talking to him, he’s ex- ing the last Ryder Cup cap- Tom Kite, Lanny Wadkins,
it’s hard to envision a U.S. Ben Crenshaw and Dave
team without Woods or appearance was in 1995, cited about playing. He’s tained by Tom Watson and Stockton.
Mickelson, but the two are Love will be leading a team
no longer certainties as the followed by Woods’ debut not done yet. He wants to the Americans have tried built on the young play-
Americans try to solve the ers like Jordan Spieth and
European stranglehold on in 1997. make this next team. If he to find a new way to break Rickie Fowler. Woods and
the Ryder Cup. Mickelson will have 2016 to
Woods is ranked 299th in Woods’ recent back sur- doesn’t make the team, their losing ways. show they can add to their
the world and recently un- Ryder Cup resumes.
derwent another back sur- gery ended his 2015 sea- he’s going to be involved The PGA America assem- “They’re just two of a lot of
gery. Mickelson is ranked players that have stressed
23rd, but hasn’t won since son. Mickelson was chosen and I know he doesn’t bled past captains and to me that they want to
the British Open in 2013. play on a winning Ryder
“It would be hard to imag- for the upcoming Presi- want to work for me. I think players -- including Love, Cup team,” Love said.
ine,” Love said Tuesday at “The tone has changed a
a year-out press confer- dent’s Cup by captain Jay he’d rather play for me. Woods and Mickelson -- to little bit on our side. Guys
ence at Hazeltine. “They’re aren’t saying, ‘I want to
all my teammates that I’ve Haas, despite lacking the “So, I have a feeling he’s alter the approach. make your team.’ They’re
played with. We’re all get- saying, ‘I want to play on a
ting older.” points to qualify. going to be strong and mo- “We’ve had a lot of losing winning Ryder Cup team.’
The 2016 Ryder Cup is Sept. They’re not looking at it as
30 to Oct. 2 at Hazeltine in “Phil gets on a roll about tivated to make the next seasons in a row and we my team, they want to play
suburban Chaska, the site on a winning U.S. team. So,
of the PGA Championship Tiger, Phil, Webb Simpson,
in 2002 and 2009. Chris Kirk, all those guys,
Europe extended its domi- they’re excited about mak-
nance with a win in 2014 ing this team and making it
at Gleneagles. The U.S. a winning team.”q
